June 7, 2014 / Leslie

Weekend Birding: Nestlings in the Roost Box

Birds, Fledgling, House Sparrow, Nest, Nestling, Photography, Photos

I have four nest boxes in my yard and all have entry holes sized for native birds such as House Wrens, Chickadees and House Finches. These holes too small for a House Sparrow to enter.

I also have a roost box to provide shelter during the winter. It is not suitable for nesting. To conserve heat it has an entry hole at the bottom and little ventilation. Inside are six perches that can house about 12 birds. The entry hole is large and, since it is at the bottom, the box is not secure for nestlings to be safe from predators. No birds have ever tried to nest there so I leave the box up year-round.

House Sparrow Nestling

Last week my observant husband informed me that sparrow were going in and out of my roost box and that the box was chirping. Really? Really! As a volunteer bird monitor, one would think I would be aware of what was nesting in my own backyard, and usually I am. But sparrows are sneaky and I completely missed a successful nesting attempt! How embarrassing. In my defense – sort of – the box is behind a huge Spirea Bush.

If that looks like a fairly large baby bird exiting the box, it is. By the time they leave the nest they have grown almost as large as their parents.

Leaving the Nest

I don’t mind House Sparrows visiting my feeders and bird baths, but I try to discourage them from nesting in my yard. Why? Because they are very aggressive and will actively compete with native species for nesting sites. And they don’t need our help. They are a non-native species in North America and have been very successful in adapting. Successful to the point of disrupting native species.

For the past two summers they have driven off the House Wrens that usually nest in my yard. Wrens are not shy and can be very territorial, but they had a difficult time with the sparrows constantly trying to enter their nest boxes.

Fledgling Lands in the Spirea

It is illegal to interfere with nesting native bird species. However, House Sparrows, along with Starlings, are not native and considered invasive and can be removed without a permit. Every year I catch the sparrows trying to build a nest in my awning or gutters, and when I see it I remove the nesting material. But once there are eggs in a nest, I leave them alone.

Exploring Under the Shrub

Four or five little guys popped out of the roost box yesterday. It took most of the day for the parents to get all of them to come out. This morning the parents were feeding them as they chirped and begged from the shrub and the apple tree. Soon they will learn to find their own food and the parents will attempt a second brood. Though this time, not in my roost box.

While the global population of the House Sparrow is in decline, they are still plentiful in the US and are not on the watch list.

UPDATE: The final total was seven nestlings. They spent the next two days in my yard learning to fly and ate every last sunflower seed in both of my feeders. Then they began eating the peanuts I put out for the woodpeckers.

Saturday Snapshot was originated by Alyce at At Home With Books. It is now hosted by Melinda of West Metro Mommy. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.